Chapter 76

Chapter 76

On the outskirts of the city, Li Shou, his face grim, helped Li Yi hobble along. Several new wounds marred his body, and a heavy, oppressive silence hung between the brothers. Li Yi looked gaunt; in just a few days, he had lost a significant amount of weight, his complexion was poor, and a foul odor emanated from him, particularly from his broken leg.

Su He glanced at the darkening sky. "It's almost night. Let's find a car and rest."

Li Shou grunted in agreement, while Li Yi remained silent. Since his leg was broken, he rarely spoke, except when absolutely necessary or during arguments with Li Shou.

After locating a suitable vehicle, Li Shou opened the back door. Li Yi, stubbornly attempting to get in by himself, was roughly shoved inside by an impatient Li Shou, tumbling in disheveled and humiliated.

"What are you doing?!" Li Yi roared from the seat, struggling to sit up.

Li Shou thought, *Here we go again.*

He was utterly fed up; the past few days had been enough, so much so that he no longer even wished to argue with Li Yi. He cast a distant glance at Li Yi before closing the car door. He didn't immediately get in himself; he needed a moment to breathe.

His eyes met Su He’s, which were filled with heartache and concern.

He suddenly realized he hadn't seen Su He smile in a long time. Lately, Su He had been constantly caught between the brothers, looking anxious, worried, and melancholic, appearing increasingly worn out.

*This cannot continue,* the thought surfaced.

Su He approached him. "I'll go check on Brother Yi."

He reached for the car door, but Li Shou grabbed his hand tightly. The man's expression was conflicted, as if on the verge of making a crucial decision.

Su He felt a thrill of excitement—*had this day finally arrived?*—but outwardly feigned confusion.

"Brother Shou?"

Li Shou released his hand.

Su He got into the car, but even now, Li Yi barely responded to him. The man was utterly defeated by the reality of his broken leg, lost in his own tragic narrative.

Li Yi was actually very unwell; his wound had been causing a persistent fever, but he hadn't mentioned it, and no one had noticed. Today, he felt the fever intensify, his head throbbing, his body sweating profusely, alternating between chills and heat. In this state of discomfort, he eventually drifted into unconsciousness.

Late into the night.

Su He was awakened by Li Shou. Thinking Li Shou wanted him to take over the night watch, he rubbed his eyes, only to hear Li Shou whisper, "Let's leave."

Su He's hand paused mid-rub, concealing the surprise in his eyes.

Li Shou glanced at the sleeping Li Yi through the rearview mirror. "If we keep going like this, we'll all be dragged down."

Su He: "But—"

Li Shou seized his hand. "You've seen how it's been these past few days. Big Brother doesn't want to be a burden to us. Besides, we're the most important people to him. Of course, he wants us to survive. Some things we must do—this is for his own good too."

He articulated this rationale with unwavering conviction.

Su He appeared to be swayed but still hesitated.

Li Shou added fuel to the fire: "Big Brother doesn't want us to see him like this every day either. He's so proud, Hehe. You should understand him."

—

The sky began to lighten with dawn. Li Yi, having endured a night of high fever, wearily opened his eyes and instinctively murmured, "Water..."

He was parched.

No one responded. It took him a while to realize he was alone in the car. Li Yi instantly sobered, and a cascade of thoughts flooded his mind, the one he most dreaded pushed deep into a corner. Unaware of the panic in his heart, he frantically scanned his surroundings but saw no one moving outside.

Anxiously, he opened the car door and struggled out, leaning against it as he peered in all directions.

*They must be nearby, looking for supplies,* Li Yi thought, standing by the door, anxiously waiting and watching. The sun slowly climbed to its zenith, its scorching heat threatening to bake him alive. His body could no longer endure.

Li Yi returned to the car, his eyes rolling back as he lost consciousness.

When he awoke again, it was already dark, and he was still alone in the car. The deeply suppressed thought became the only plausible explanation.

He had been abandoned.

By his own brother, by the person he loved and had protected all this way.

He laughed, but the laughter was bitter. As he laughed, tears streamed down his face. Outside, monsters roared, but Li Yi's expression was numb, as if he were merely a corpse with a lingering trace of warmth.

—

Gao Qiang: "Show us what you can do~"

Chen Zui and the others were in no hurry to leave the village. They stood before the woods behind it, where Hu Yue, having awakened her Wind Superpower, stepped forward and waved her hand toward the trees.

A strong, visible gust of wind swept through, shaking branches and rustling leaves.

She waved her hand again, and this time, even branches were snapped by the fierce wind. Everyone's eyes lit up, and Hu Yue herself flushed with excitement, her face glowing.

Chen Zui: "Try to condense it into wind blades."

Taking his suggestion, Hu Yue focused, controlling the wind as it left her hands, condensing it into dozens of wind blades before swinging her arm forcefully. The wind blades spun forward into the woods, slicing through the front trees like butter. In an instant, several trees were felled, and the remaining force left deep gashes in the trunks of the trees behind, leaving them swaying precariously.

The display of power amazed and delighted everyone.

Hu Xue rushed forward to hug Hu Yue: "Amazing!"

Her little sister was incredible, and as her big sister, she was filled with pride and joy.

Gao Qiang also applauded and cheered enthusiastically for Hu Yue, eagerly anticipating the day he might awaken his own Superpower and gain formidable combat strength, earning Hu Xue’s admiration.

Hu Yue giggled happily, unable to contain her joy.

Next was Ren Feng’s turn. His Water Superpower wasn't as offensive as Hu Yue’s Wind Superpower, but it could still be used for attacks. He could control water orbs to envelop monsters' heads, suffocating them.

Of course, the most important aspect of his ability was that they would never have to worry about water resources again—they could drink and use water freely, making it incredibly practical.

The one who loved his Superpower the most was undoubtedly the baby octopus. Ren Feng purposely released a small water orb for him to play with, and the little guy was overjoyed. He didn’t submerge himself in the orb but instead rolled it under his tentacles, tossing it playfully between his eight tentacles, making it roll around.

It was like a circus act.

Chen Zui was greatly amused by the water orb.

It was also time for him to demonstrate the power of his Superpower. He stepped forward, and as he extended his hand, it transformed into a tentacle—not pink and tender like the baby octopus’s, but black and thick, with the color gradually lightening to a pale purple toward the base.

Eventually, his entire arm turned into a tentacle. Everyone stared wide-eyed; the scene was rather bizarre.

The baby octopus stopped playing with the water orb and began balancing it on his head, then switched to his tentacles, juggling the orb with all eight tentacles. It was, admittedly, quite impressive.

Ren Feng’s eyes were drawn to Chen Zui, and he couldn’t help remembering Gao Qiang’s earlier words. His gaze landed on the suction cups beneath Chen Zui’s tentacles.

They were neatly arranged; they looked like they had serious suction.

Chen Zui controlled his tentacle and suddenly shot it forward. The tentacle elongated, carrying immense force and effortlessly snapping two trees in half. Everyone stared open-mouthed; it was clear to all that Chen Zui wasn’t even going all out.

The tentacle retracted and morphed back into a human hand—long fingers, evenly proportioned knuckles, a thin layer of skin stretched taut over bone and muscle, with prominent veins.

Gao Qiang blinked a few times: "So, like, can your tentacles grow back? I remember octopuses are..."

Chen Zui: "Nope."

Gao Qiang expressed deep regret: "Ah, that's a shame. Otherwise, we’d have a steady food source."

He sighed.

Even Chen Zui took a moment to grasp his meaning—he was being seen as emergency rations. Just then, Hu Yue gave Gao Qiang a hard kick, nearly knocking him over.

Hu Yue: "Don't listen to his nonsense; he’s a moron."

Gao Qiang scratched his butt and laughed sheepishly: "I was just joking, hehe. Dude, don’t take it to heart. I really don't like seafood."

Hu Yue kicked him again.

Somewhere no one noticed, the baby octopus lifted a water ball with its tentacle and hurled it at Gao Qiang like a shot put. Just as Gao Qiang steadied himself, he felt something flying toward him. He turned and took a water balloon right to the face.

Simultaneously, Ren Feng released his control over the water ball. With a splash, the balloon burst on Gao Qiang's face, leaving him drenched and spitting out a mouthful of water, looking both ridiculous and pathetic.

Hu Yue burst out laughing first, followed by everyone else. Even Gao Qiang himself wiped the water off his face and gave the baby octopus a thumbs-up: "Well done."

The baby octopus tucked two tentacles under its head, as if putting its hands on its hips, looking utterly adorable.

With more companions, it felt like a sliver of light had pierced this bleak, hopeless world. Chen Zui's lips curved slightly upward. As a mercenary, he was used to having comrades around, but the people and environment were different now, so the feeling was different too.

They stayed in the village for two more days to allow Hu Yue and Ren Feng to fully adapt to using their abilities.

—

Chen Zui was driving, with Ren Feng in the passenger seat.

Gao Qiang, sitting in the back, looked at them and then at the baby octopus, who was hanging from the rearview mirror acting like a decoration: "You three look like a family."

He suddenly blurted out, pointing at Chen Zui: "Papa octopus and baby octopus."

The baby octopus swung a tentacle, giving him a light slap. Gao Qiang, thick-skinned and easygoing, didn't mind at all. Rubbing his cheek, he remarked: "The little guy hits pretty hard."

Ren Feng's eyelids lowered slightly: *A family of three.* The phrase made him feel warm inside.

Gao Qiang: "By the way, do you two have any dating advice to teach me?"

Ren Feng glanced at Chen Zui. He was seriously regretting ever claiming to have a boyfriend; otherwise, he wouldn’t be in this awkward spot.

Chen Zui controlled the steering wheel with one hand, driving aggressively but smoothly—clearly a pro behind the wheel.

He tapped his index finger on the steering wheel: "Dating advice, huh..."

He spoke thoughtfully, hooking both their attention. After a moment's reflection, Chen Zui said: "Dating advice is about satisfying the other person, but not 100%."

Such sage advice was clearly beyond Gao Qiang's understanding. He looked eager to learn: "What does that mean?"

Ren Feng also perked up.

Chen Zui: "Next, let Feng explain it to you~"

Ren Feng looked at him in shock—this was way out of his depth... But Chen Zui just smiled, a mischievous smile that was downright irritating. Ren Feng realized this man was doing it on purpose.

Gao Qiang turned to him, waiting for him to elaborate.

Although Ren Feng didn't understand, he wasn't stupid. He ran with Chen Zui's lead and explained: "It means if you agree to everything the other person asks, they’ll think you’re boring."

He thought, *was this Chen Zui's view on relationships? Did he like those who weren't too obedient?*

Gao Qiang rubbed his chin, pondering seriously. No one noticed that Chen Zui's hand resting against the car door had transformed into a tentacle—a slim tentacle that crept stealthily from the floor to the passenger seat, then slid up along the seat to the hem of Ren Feng's clothes, slowly slipping inside.

Ren Feng felt an itch on his waist and instinctively scratched it. A beat later, he realized something was sliding up his skin—a slippery, slightly cool sensation, like the baby octopus's tentacle.

He glanced at the baby octopus, who was asleep on the rearview mirror.

Besides the baby octopus, there was another big octopus in this car.

Ren Feng looked questioningly at Chen Zui, but the other man was keeping his eyes on the road, dead serious, as if he hadn't done anything. Ren Feng couldn't even get eye contact, let alone directly confront him.

He withdrew his gaze and looked down, peering down his shirt to confirm it was indeed a tentacle.

Gao Qiang: "Besides that, anything more specific?"

Ren Feng's attention was entirely focused on the slender tentacle. Its tip was now coiling around his nipple, wrapping around it snugly, tightening while gently poking with the tip.

Guys usually don’t think about this spot.

When had it ever received such treatment? Ren Feng only now realized this area was actually sensitive... His jaw tightened. Under these circumstances, he could neither speak nor move, forced to silently endure this tingly feeling.

"On the premise of being able to satisfy the other person, give them immense, irreplaceable satisfaction," Chen Zui said. The poking tentacle tip suddenly pressed down and stopped moving, instead attaching itself with a suction cup.

Ren Feng jolted upright in his seat, leaning forward. Gao Qiang, who was sitting close, was startled: "What's wrong?"

Ren Feng took a deep breath, suppressing himself: "Nothing, my back just suddenly felt itchy."

Gao Qiang habitually replied: "Let me scratch it for you."

He immediately realized his mistake and quickly leaned back, explaining to Chen Zui: "No, no, you scratch it, you scratch it."

Chen Zui looked at Ren Feng: "Still itchy? Want me to scratch it for you?"

Ren Feng never thought someone with his image would ever be teased like this. The suction cup seemed to breathe, sucking rhythmically—sometimes strong, sometimes weak, without any pattern or rule, leaving him unable to prepare mentally.

He leaned back against the seat, gritting his teeth: "No need."

Chen Zui smiled and turned his attention back to driving the car steadily forward.

Gao Qiang was still pondering Chen Zui's words: *On the premise of being able to satisfy the other person, make yourself irreplaceable.* It seemed to make a lot of sense.

Ren Feng stared unblinkingly ahead, but the suction cup only played with one side, completely ignoring the other. The stark contrast in sensation made the neglected side feel lonely and desolate.

*Wanting...*

The suction cup almost completely enveloped the nipple, and when released, it became red and swollen.

996: "Do you like him?"

996 had pondered Chen Zui's previous words for a long, long time, but still couldn't quite grasp it. He felt lost, even losing the motivation to complete tasks.

Chen Zui hadn't really considered this question. He just... didn't know why he always felt drawn to Ren Feng, just like the first time he laid eyes on him. Ren Feng gave him a comforting feeling, and this closeness wasn't merely about friendly interaction—it included a physical intimacy as well.

So, he simply acted on instinct.

As for whether it was love, he hadn't thought about it. Or perhaps, in his view, whether it was love wasn't important; what mattered was instinct. Love requires careful consideration to conclude, while instinct doesn't.

The suction cup kissed and nibbled at the nipple repeatedly.

In the three-person car, everything happened in secrecy, known only to the two protagonists.

Chen Zui: "What about you? What are your plans?"

Chen Zui: "I hope you can live for yourself once. You know, I've died once before. Not living freely and without regrets even once is truly not worth it."

He spoke earnestly.

996 paused for a beat: "Thank you."

Actually, at first, he suspected that Chen Zui was deliberately driving a wedge between him and the Transmigration Bureau, but gradually, he couldn't tell anymore.

—

Hu Yue found a crochet hook and yarn in the village. The baby octopus refused to wear a small dress, so this time she crocheted a small frog bib for him. It would definitely look super cute when worn.

"Sis, want me to crochet a camisole for you?"

"Yes, I want one with patterns and a back tie."

"No problem."

Hu Yue thought for a moment: "Sis, what do you think about crocheting a pair of matching couple knit caps for Ren Feng and Chen Zui?"

Hu Xue glanced at her through the rearview mirror: "Of course, that's a great idea. We're all companions. But you, don't always think about others—make something for yourself too."

"I plan to crochet a backpack for myself." Hu Yue smoothed out the yarn. "What should I make for Gao Qiang? Sis, give me a suggestion."

Hu Xue: "Crochet a vest for him."

Hu Yue was filled with determination.

After driving a bit further, Hu Xue narrowed her eyes at the village ahead and slowly brought the car to a stop. It was a village barricaded with various items, topped with an iron net.

Outside, there were sharpened tree trunks planted in the ground facing all directions, with a few small monsters impaled on some of them.

Hu Xue shifted her gaze and spotted a lookout above. The other party had clearly noticed them too.

Hu Yue put away her yarn, looking on curiously and cautiously.

Chen Zui's car stopped behind them. The tentacle that had been active the whole ride retracted, leaving behind a red and swollen...

Outside, the sky was growing dark.

The car ahead turned on its hazard lights, so Chen Zui backed up the car. It seemed Hu Xue intended to bypass this village.

Thus, both cars reversed.

Unexpectedly, however, the villagers proactively opened the gate, and a young man appeared at the entrance: "It's getting dark. Come inside and take shelter."

Through the open gate, the Hu sisters caught a glimpse of the village—clean streets, with some people curiously looking back at them, including several children.

The young man waved at them.

Hu Yue: "Should we go in?"

Hu Xue shook her head and continued reversing the car. While one should not harbor ill intentions, it's also important to stay vigilant.

She saved Ren Feng not only because of his looks but also because he was alone, and they had guns.

But this was a village, with at least several dozen people. For safety's sake, it was better not to enter, especially since they had food and water and didn't need to take the risk.

The young man at the entrance looked somewhat confused seeing them not come in but didn't do anything else, silently closing the gate.

Hu Xue and the others retreated to the previous fork in the road they had passed, choosing another route to continue their journey.

When night fully settled in, they pulled over to the side.

Gao Qiang went over to Hu Xue's car. As soon as he left, Ren Feng immediately confronted Chen Zui. Chen Zui didn't resist as Ren Feng pressed him against the seatback, a gleaming dagger held against his neck.

Ren Feng: "You..."

Before he could finish, Chen Zui grabbed his wrist holding the dagger. Ren Feng thought he was trying to wrestle it away and instinctively resisted, but instead, Chen Zui increased the pressure, pressing the dagger harder against his own neck.

The sharp blade cut through the skin almost upon contact, leaving a thin line of blood.

Ren Feng's pupils dilated, and he pulled the dagger back, creating distance.

"You..."

"Kill me."

Chen Zui said, his grip on Ren Feng's wrist turning into a tentacle, wrapping around it once. The tip of the tentacle swayed in front of Ren Feng's shocked and stunned face before boldly reaching into his collar.

He stared at Ren Feng with those dark, determined eyes.

"Or continue."

The tentacle pressed against his skin.

The baby octopus in the rearview mirror watched with lowered head.

The car door burst open, and Ren Feng stepped out, looking furious and flustered.

He had lost this confrontation.

Chen Zui met the baby octopus's gaze, and the next second, the baby octopus leaped out, landing on Ren Feng's shoulder before moving in front of him.

Ren Feng looked at the little guy. Both were octopuses, so why was Chen Zui so wicked!

He cupped the baby octopus in his palm.

The baby octopus used a tentacle to trace a heart shape for him. Ren Feng chuckled, and the baby octopus nestled its round little head under his chin, nuzzling affectionately.

Ren Feng's gloomy mood eased.

996: *...Did Chen Zui complete the missions like that in the previous worlds?*

*No way!*

*Seriously?*

*Oh my god, what kind of perverts were the main protagonists in those worlds?!*

*Suddenly, I feel like they had it coming.*

996: "Your way of pursuing someone is really special."

Chen Zui: "Pursuing someone?"

He was just indulging his wicked sense of humor, and also testing Ren Feng a little.

He raised his hand and wiped it over the wound on his neck—pretty hardcore, but since he couldn’t bring himself to be truly ruthless, he was doomed to lose.

—

Su He and Li Shou appeared near the village on their bicycles, breathing a sigh of relief. Night had fully fallen, and they had thought they wouldn’t find somewhere to take cover.

Just as they were about to approach, the village gate opened from the inside, and a group of people dressed in black and carrying weapons came out.

Su He grabbed Li Shou, and the two exchanged a glance before hiding further back.

The group was sneaking around suspiciously. With how dangerous it was at night, they still ventured out. Driven by curiosity, the two abandoned their bicycles and carefully tailed them.

They trailed the group back, taking a fork in the road, and before long, they spotted two haphazardly parked cars. Derelict cars littered the area, so there was nothing worth paying attention to.

But the group stealthily encircled the two cars.

Gao Qiang, who was on lookout duty, gave a yawn.